


A Warm Ray of Light

by Draconian_Songs



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route Spoilers, Smooching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:20:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25436812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Draconian_Songs/pseuds/Draconian_Songs
Summary: Seteth and Judith had been dancing about the peripheries of the other for weeks now, exchanging cordial words during meetings and polite nods across the dining hall. The rare moments where they fell into step on their way to the cathedral or the war room they spent in silence, though it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. More than anything it was a contemplative one, pregnant with words left unsaid and glances that lasted a second too long.This is the story of their quiet romance.
Relationships: Judith von Daphnel/Seteth
Kudos: 4





	A Warm Ray of Light

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 of ???

Flayn sighed a long and put upon sigh. Judith looked up from her stew, a bit startled by her meal’s interruption. The girl was sitting across from Judith, her chin propped up on both hands, her elbows on the table. She sighed again.

“Hey now, what’s eating you, kiddo?” Judith asked.

“Oh, I am so glad you asked!” Flayn said, perking up immediately. Judith held back a smile and nodded for Flayn to continue. “It is just, my brother is so busy all the time,” she said, fixing Judith with her piercing sea-foam green eyes. “Finding Rhea is important, yes, and he is diligent about the search. However, he even forgets to take his meals!” Flayn emphasised this point by spreading her hands wide and looking aghast.

Judith nodded in agreement, taking another spoonful of stew to think on whether or not to tell Flayn it was on purpose. She had heard Seteth discussing their supply situation during war council meetings, and while things weren’t as lean as they had been before Judith had joined the cause, it was still an unsteady situation. Flayn being a growing girl, Judith figured Seteth was rationing himself to offset her large appetite.

Before Judith came to a conclusion, however, Flayn continued. “I am worried about him, but he will not listen to reason from me.” She paused, catching Judith’s gaze again. Flayn’s eyes sparked with a cunning gleam. “However, if he hears that he must take proper breaks from someone as mature as you, he is certain to listen.”

Aha, so that was it. Judith smiled in amusement. The situation was this:

Seteth and Judith had been dancing about the peripheries of the other for weeks now, exchanging cordial words during meetings and polite nods across the dining hall. The rare moments where they fell into step on their way to the cathedral or the war room they spent in silence, though it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. More than anything it was a contemplative one, pregnant with words left unsaid and glances that lasted a second too long.

Seteth threw himself at his work and Judith trained harder than ever in an attempt to distract from that gravitational pull that worked endlessly, tugging at each other unconsciously. Without meaning to, Judith found herself attending church services despite not being the most devout. She stood in the back, her blue eyes catching on the deep green hair of Seteth as he sat, head bowed in prayer.

Seteth himself began to train in the mornings rather than his usual evenings. Judith always began her days with rigorous sword practice. More than once she found herself missing a mark on the training dummy when her attention was caught by the excellent form Seteth cut while wielding a lance. Both had entertained the idea of asking the other to spar, but had said nothing.

And apparently Flayn had been watching the two the entire time.

“You’d like me to talk to Seteth, maybe get him to come to the dining hall more than once a day, is that it?” Judith asked.

Flayn bounced in her seat, delighted. “I would greatly appreciate it! It would be even more help if you asked him to join you for a meal or two. To help him remember, of course.”

Holding back a bark of laughter, Judith nodded again. “Of course, kiddo. I’ll do what I can.” Of all the things she had expected of having an attraction to Seteth, she had not expected his little sister to attempt to set them up. 

Judith found the plan unsubtle, which amused her all the more for how polite and careful she and Seteth had been until now. Judith just couldn’t say no to Flayn, who seemed so earnest and ecstatic about the prospect. And she wasn’t about to say no to an easy opening when she had wondered if maybe she should just let the whole relationship idea rest.

There was still a part of her that yearned for Nader, however much she tried to tell herself it was not meant to be. An Almyran with a leader in the Alliance? The chances of her crush coming to fruition was very low considering the war across Fodlan and the Alliance’s rocky relationship with Almyra.

Here at Garreg Mach, Judith had found herself attracted to this quiet man of the church quite by accident. That he was attracted to her, she had no doubt; Judith wasn’t a stranger to being the object of desire and had developed a strategy of acknowledging the attraction and then filing that knowledge away. But in this case, she was intrigued. 

As she climbed the stairs to get to Seteth’s office, Judith thought to herself that Flayn had been just the push she had needed to act. Otherwise Judith would have continued to not bother to make a move, too busy thinking of how a war was not the time for a relationship. She stepped up to the door to Seteth’s office.

And really, was there ever a good time for a relationship?

Judith knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

When Judith entered, Seteth looked surprised, then his brows drew together. “Commander Daphnel, is something the matter?” He was sitting behind his desk, but moved to stand as he continued to look concerned.

Judith waved a hand, coming forward. Seteth sat back down, green eyes tracking her progress across the room. This was the first time she had been in his office, she realized. It was almost cozy but for the massive corkboard against one wall covered in diagrams and notes. She ascended the two steps to his desk and propped a hand on her hip.

“You’re worrying little Flayn sick over all the work you’re doing,” Judith said, smirking. Seteth scrunched his face in consternation and sat back, but Judith continued. “At the very least, you should make a show of eating lunch and dinner or she’ll likely send the whole army to your office.”

Seteth crossed his arms, brow furrowed. “It is not so simple as that. Our supplies are—” But Judith interrupted him, not unkindly.

“You need to keep up your strength as well,” she said, leaning against his desk. There were papers piled high, reports from multiple hands, ledgers with numbers detailing everything from soldiers to potatoes, a plethora of notes on scrap paper in a slanting hand. His handwriting was atrocious, she noted. Judith laughed lightly to herself. “At least join me for dinner tonight?”

Seteth looked taken aback. “I… suppose that is reasonable,” he said. Judith raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean to say, I will meet you in the dining hall for dinner tonight,” Seteth said, fidgeting under her stare. 

Judith straightened up, smiling. “I’ll see you there, Seteth.” She raised a finger and gave him another pointed look. “Don’t be late. Flayn is sure to be watching for you, and you don’t want to keep her waiting.” And with that, Judith took her leave.

**Author's Note:**

> I promise there will be smooching -clenches fist- I just really needed to share what I had so far! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!!!


End file.
